Gingerbread Houses
by ladygris
Summary: Jennifer and Evan learn that building a life is more than icing and cake.  Follow-up to "Cake Decorating," in my "Snippets and Snapshots."
1. Morning After

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing related to Stargate Atlantis, not even the characters! Just playing in their world for a while.

**Author's Note:** So, I kind of surprised myself when I wrote my one-shot, "Cake Decorating." As it turns out, my good friend DaniWilder mentioned building gingerbread houses, and this idea was born. These five chapters are an exploration of what might happen if such an event took place. If you haven't read "Cake Decorating," it is Chapter 10 of my "Snippets and Snapshots." Won't take long to read, and you'll be up to date on this story. Each chapter will post on Monday, with the final chapter posting on Christmas Eve. This one does cover some adult subjects, but I've kept it to a T rating because I don't like going higher than that. I've borrowed a couple of lines from my favorite western, _American Outlaws_, so I give credit to the writers of that movie for those fantastic lines. This story is NOT connected in any way to Eighteen Days or any other Kelorne fic I've written save for "Cake Decorating." A HUGE thank you to TychoV for beta-ing this for me. As always, hope you enjoy! ~lg

oOo

Jennifer walked into the infirmary with a smile on her face. In honesty, she'd have smiled no matter where she walked. Last night, after Teyla's birthday part, she'd slept better than she had in months. It might have had something to do with the alcohol at the party—of which she'd consumed too much. Or it could have had something to do with decorating the cake.

Her face flamed at the thought of what had happened in the kitchen. When Lorne appeared, she'd fought with her natural tendency to stammer. Had given in to that tendency. Then, he sidestepped all of her hesitations and simply kissed her. For a moment, she'd been too stunned to think. He was like the hot, mysterious guy at the club—the one all her friends checked out but she was too embarrassed to approach. Then, she surrendered to him. They had shared the single most intense thing a man and woman could share. And she'd liked it.

Jennifer dropped into her chair in her office and buried her face in her hands. Who was she trying to fool? She hadn't just _liked_ being with Lorne. She'd _loved_ it. So much that she'd fantasized about it before dropping off to sleep. Did that man even know the power he had? With simply a smile, he had women swooning over him. Jennifer had never wanted to be one of those women. Yet, here she was: relishing the memory like a condemned woman savoring her last meal.

For a few moments, her mind allowed her to replay what had happened. His kiss. His wandering hands. The way she'd melted into him. Closing and locking the door. Letting him lift her onto the counter. Then, Jennifer sat up straighter and locked down those thoughts. She couldn't let them escape. Not here in the infirmary where her staff could read her behavior. They probably already knew she'd got some the night before. Cadman had asked her about it, in fact. She couldn't let herself get distracted by those memories.

Of course, her thoughts wouldn't be headed that way if she hadn't caught sight of him on her way to the infirmary. Then, she sighed. Who was she kidding? She would have been thinking about it for days even if he'd gone off world during the night and stayed there for a week. What had happened last night was just plain _hot_!

"Geez, Jennifer, it's been too long for you," she muttered as she walked out of her office and assumed her duties for the day. "Stop thinking about someone you'll never have and get to work."

The day passed slowly for her. She spent time going over the schedule and prepping for the next week. Marie and some of the others were headed back to Earth for some well-deserved vacation with their families. The holidays had arrived, and Atlantis's brass had decided to take time out of the city's busy schedule to celebrate Christmas. Of course, the threat of Wraith or Replicator attack always hovered. But only two more missions separated the city from a week-long reprieve. Personnel long overworked would get time to relax a bit, days off, and a Christmas party at the end of the week. Jennifer had heard rumors of a secret Santa gift exchange, and she hoped she wasn't asked to participate in that. She never knew what she wanted and, as a result, rarely knew what to get for others.

Then, she thought about last night and flushed yet again. She knew what she wanted: more of what happened last night. But she refused to dwell on the idea of simply. . .What was the term?. . .Scratching an itch? She wanted more than just that. She wanted companionship. A commitment to try to make things work. After all, too many consequences resulted from random hook-ups with little to no protection.

Jennifer sat and stared at a computer screen just to appear busy. What kind of romantic life did Lorne lead? She had her suspicions, but she couldn't be sure. He tended to keep to himself, and she hadn't noticed any STDs in his latest blood work. Still, she couldn't resist sneaking a peek at his medical file to make sure. Once that concern had been put to rest, she returned to staring at the computer screen. The idea that he'd been with other women didn't really bother her. The idea that he hooked up with other women on a regular basis did.

Tired of the thoughts, Jennifer glanced around the infirmary. Cadman already suspected something had gone down. Teyla had simply raised an eyebrow. And Jennifer flushed every time she thought about Lorne.

Shaking the thought away, she returned to her office for the remainder of the afternoon. She forced her mind from Lorne, from the consequences, from the kitchen, and from everything that might remind her of last night. Maybe, if she got some distance, she'd be able to ignore the stirring in her chest that had blossomed into one very hot encounter in the kitchen.

oOo

That same afternoon, Lorne stepped through the gate to mediate a minor dispute between trading partners. Atlantis had been contacted since both villages offered a portion of their crops to the City of the Ancestors in exchange for help with the Wraith. And the Wraith seemed to really like this planet. They'd been there three times, and Lorne had come to know the caves around the village like the back of his own hand. A dispute between these trading partners needed to be resolved.

Part of him longed for the diplomatic skills Teyla brought to the table. Sitting in a room, listening to farmers gripe about livestock and past crop growth, was worse than listening to McKay and Zelenka bicker over some obscure technical thing the Ancients had researched. By the time he headed back to the gate, Lorne couldn't wait to get to his quarters, shower, and hopefully make it to the mess hall in time for a hot meal.

As they walked, Coughlin and Reed chattered around him. Lorne listened with one ear as he kept an eye out for danger. Too many people knew their faces, and someone always wanted a piece of Atlantis. Whether the Wraith or the Genii or a random planetary leader or. . . .the list went on. He wanted to arrive home and in one piece, not needing to head to the infirmary for stitches or surgery. Especially with the week ahead of them.

Lorne let a smile escape as he thought about his plans for the week. He had to work several shifts, but he intended to catch up on paperwork. It had piled up thanks to all the crises with the Replicators recently. And he wanted to get some painting done. Life on Atlantis could get crazy, and a week of nothing but rest sounded a lot like heaven.

"Hey, he's smiling." Coughlin rushed to catch up with Lorne.

Reed snorted. "That's never a good thing."

Lorne turned. "Yeah? Maybe I'm thinking about the week I have coming."

"And the party?" Coughlin needled. Lorne shook his head. When he'd discovered that Carter had okayed a base-wide Christmas bash, he had grouched about it to his team. The men were tight, and Lorne knew his grumpy mood wouldn't be reported.

Now, though, he let his grin widen. "Yeah, maybe a little. How often do we get the chance to just relax?"

"Dude, you're in a good mood!" Coughlin glanced at Reed and exchanged glances. "All day, too. What happened last night?"

Lorne shook his head, already thinking about Jennifer's smile. And icing. And. . . . He hurriedly stopped his thoughts before his body remembered as well. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

Coughlin blinked, his face going blank as he realized Lorne had confirmed his suspicions. "Who was it? Spill! Cadman? Mehra?"

Reed flanked his CO. "Marie? Amelia?"

Coughlin glanced over as they approached the DHD. "Couldn't be Keller."

As Reed dialed, Lorne blinked and glanced down. The memory of Jennifer's brown eyes and blond hair floated through his mind. Specifically how her hair had brushed his shoulders the night before. Rather than looking at his men, he checked to make sure the safety on his P90 was engaged. They were returning to Atlantis, after all. Wouldn't want a hair trigger to shoot someone accidentally. _Right,_ he thought dryly. _Get a grip, Lorne._

Coughlin choked. "No way! Keller?"

Lorne turned with a grin. "Yeah, well, just keep it to yourselves."

Reed shuddered, his grin still in place. "You think I want the base CMO angry at me for spilling the beans about her personal life? No, thank you! I have a better sense of self-preservation than that!"

Lorne stepped through the gate, trying to wipe the cocky grin from his face. He'd done a great job of hiding things thus far. Of course, he'd only seen Jennifer for a brief moment that morning, and he'd been heading to bed after a long night on shift. This little excursion had pulled him out of a deep sleep.

Now, he walked into the infirmary, his eyes already scanning for her. When he didn't see her, he checked his watch. After five. Meaning she'd already gone home for the day. Lorne resolved that he would deal with this later and spent the next fifteen minutes undergoing the routine medical evaluation that every gate team member endured after an off world mission.

Forty-five minutes later, however, he sat in the mess hall glaring across the room. Well, "glaring" might be too strong of a word. He closely watched Jennifer and her dinner companions. She sat next to Ronon, across from McKay, and at the same table as Sheppard, who seemed intent on making her laugh. As she threw back her head and touched Ronon's shoulder as she laughed, Lorne shifted his gaze to his plate. He didn't want to think of her hand on Ronon's shoulder. Not when he clearly remembered those cool fingers running through his hair as she sat in front of him on the counter. Or her amazement when he finished decorating the cake. Or. . . . He shook his head as he tried to figure out how to eat while a woman he'd been drawn to for months flirted with other men right in front of him.

Finally, she said her goodbyes and left the mess hall. Lorne let her leave and forced himself to wait another ten minutes. As she walked past his table, she gave him a sly glance and flushed to the roots of her hair. He grinned.

Coughlin found him still grinning. "Just go talk to her." He blinked and added, "Sir."

"Planning on it." Then, he frowned. That had come out sounding a little too cocky and a little too hopeful.

Coughlin clearly heard the hope in his voice and snorted. "I figured you would."

Lorne took one final swig of his water and pushed away from the table. He left Reed and Coughlin shaking their heads and headed for crew quarters. For Jennifer's quarters. He hoped she wouldn't have decided that this was simply a fling. Not when he'd been ignoring the attraction he had for her.

Jennifer answered the door, still dressed in her base uniform. Her face flamed yet again. "Major."

"Ah. . .got a few minutes?"

"Sure." She stepped back and let him in, seemingly very nervous about his presence in her quarters.

He looked around, already liking the comfortable neatness he saw. Not so neat that it seemed sterile. But everything had its place. His eyes fell on her bed, on the thick red comforter there, and he faced her. "I wanted to talk about last night."

"Yeah, I thought you might." She let out a deep breath and crossed to her couch, perching on the edge of her seat.

He joined her, making sure to stay close enough to take her hand but far enough away to give her distance. "I don't know what you think of me. But I'm not the type to have random hook ups all over the city."

Surprisingly, Jennifer chuckled. "Yeah, I figured that out a long time ago."

"You did?"

"You're a mystery to ninety percent of the female population here."

He shook his head. "I'm a guy. I shouldn't be that hard to figure out."

"Says you." She shrugged. "Last night was. . . ." She glanced away from him, a smile tipping her lips upward. ". . . .hot."

Seeing that smile, Lorne leaned forward, bracing his elbows on his knees just to get closer to her without crowding her. "Jennifer, last night was _very_ hot." He waited until she looked at him. "But I don't want just last night. Not if you don't. I'm not into hooking up and walking away."

She took a few deep breaths. "Major. . .Evan, I'm not like other girls here." She shrugged. "I don't just do. . ._that_. . .and walk away either."

"I never thought you were." He leaned forward and captured her lips for a soft kiss. "I just wanted to make sure I didn't get my signals crossed last night."

She seemed to have problems forming any kind of sentence right then. Lorne grinned at her, supremely pleased that he'd been able to distract her with a kiss. What would he be able to do if he. . . ? Blinking the thought from his mind, he stayed in her space. "So, we explore this?"

She smiled, and it lit her eyes from within. "We explore this."

He grinned at her and leaned forward, making sure to kiss her thoroughly as he did so.

~TBC


	2. Ground Rules

**Author's Note:** Here's the next installment, which should explain the title of the story a little more. A quick recap: Jennifer and Evan are dealing with the fall-out of their little encounter in "Cake Decorating." They've decided to "explore" what they have. Hope you enjoy! ~lg

oOo

The next morning, Jennifer walked into the conference room determined to focus on the briefing. Christmas Week had officially begun, and she wanted a clear idea of what would happen over the next few days. As she sat at the table, she looked around. _Good_, she thought. _Evan's not here, yet._

As if on cue, he appeared in the doorway, chatting with Sheppard as the two men walked to the other side of the table. Jennifer barely saw his grin before she whipped her face around to look at Carter. That woman sat with every hair in place, perfectly contained, as her command staff assembled for the morning briefing. Jennifer wished she could copy such an unaffected persona rather than sitting there with her hands shaking because Evan chose to sit directly across from her.

Was the man _trying_ to torture her? She shook her head and attempted to listen as Carter called the briefing to order. The biggest surprise of the day came when Colonel Caldwell arrived for the briefing. He announced that the _Daedalus_ would land and remain on Atlantis for the duration of Christmas Week. The SGC had sent decorations and supplies, not to mention gifts from home. Everyone in the briefing room perked up at the idea of mail and contact with families.

Jennifer's gaze slid back to Evan as the topic changed to requisition forms, personnel evaluations, and McKay's latest projects. Mundane stuff, in her opinion. Instead, she stared at Evan, admiring everything about him. His relaxed pose in the chair. Hair that looked fresh from a shower. His ability to look so good in a pull-over with long sleeves. She let out a deep breath. She even remembered how he smelled. Not like Sheppard, with his overdone aftershave. But fresh, clean. He smelled _good_. She should know. She'd been close enough to him just last night.

Her mind traveled backward in time. After getting her promise to explore what they had, he'd kissed her. That kiss had lasted for oh-so-long and had robbed her of every ounce of oxygen in her lungs. When he finally pulled away, he'd scooted closer on the couch. "So. . .ah. . .care to watch a movie?"

"Now?" she asked, surprised by his soft question.

"Yeah." He chuckled, and his eyes roved over her hair. "Because, if not. . . ."

Her face heated as she realized where his mind went. Instead, she pushed herself to her feet. "I have mostly chick flicks, but there's a few others over here. My dad just sent me a copy of _Batman Begins_. Want to try that one?"

"Sure."

She grabbed her laptop and set it up on the coffee table. After she put the movie into the DVD player, he pulled her close, running his fingers through her hair as he did so. At that point in time, Jennifer lost her focus on the movie. She simply enjoyed his warmth at her side. And the memory of what they'd shared in the kitchen. _We explore this._ What did he mean by that? Did he want to explore what they had physically? Or did he mean relationship wise? Exploring could cover so many things.

After the movie, they stayed on the couch for a while. In truth, Jennifer had nearly drifted to sleep on his shoulder. While she'd slept unbelievably well the night before, her day of mentally debating the pros and cons of their kitchen encounter had worn her out. She stirred when the closing credits rolled.

For his part, Evan seemed perfectly at home on her couch. He hadn't done anything ungentlemanly, and Jennifer doubted he ever would. Then, she thought about the night before. Her face heated again, and she wondered if she'd ever be able to think about it without blushing.

"Good movie."

"Mm." She smiled at the empty computer screen.

He glanced down and chuckled. "You weren't even watching, were you?"

"Honestly?" She turned to him. "No."

"Didn't think so." His eyes dropped to her lips. "You're cute when you barely wake up."

"Wake up?" She frowned. "I haven't been to sleep, yet."

"I noticed. But you're waking up, now." He smiled and kissed her.

All exhaustion fell away as Jennifer snaked a hand around his neck. As he deepened the kiss, he turned her so that she pressed into the back of the couch. They stayed that way for a long time as he systematically emptied her brain of every thought save him. Of every desire save to feel his touch on her skin. Their hands wandered, and he kissed her jawline before returning his attention to her mouth.

The moment his fingers trailed under the hem of her shirt, he forcefully broke away. Jennifer lay on the couch, now pinned down by his strong arms, and tried to breathe. He looked a little shaken, as well, and his breath came in short bursts. She swallowed. "Wow."

"Yeah." For a moment, they simply stared at each other. Then, he sat up, pulling her with him. "Ah. . .we need to talk about this."

"Yeah, we do," she agreed.

Evan smiled at her. "That was a quick agreement."

"Well, it's either agree to talk or. . . ." She didn't finish, but her eyes trailed toward the bed.

He growled deep in his throat. "Woman, don't tempt me!"

She squealed at the giddy sensation that growl stirred in her. "Why not?"

Even though he smiled, she saw the seriousness in his eyes. "Because."

When he didn't say more, she readjusted herself so that she sat cross-legged in front of him. "Evan, what is it?"

"Ground rules." His gaze darted from her bed to her hair to her lips and back to her eyes. "I need some ground rules. We are thinking about this all wrong. Not that I object or anything. But. . .I need to know where I stand."

"Oh."

"Don't give me that look, Jennifer." His voice took on a slight commanding tone. "If I let myself, we'd end up right over there for the night." He nodded toward the bed.

She let out a deep breath. "Ground rules, then. Like what?"

"Like we don't cross those lines again until we know we want this relationship to last." He reached out and took her hands. "I meant what I said a few hours ago. I don't randomly hook up with women. That's not my style."

"I know." She thought for a moment. He wanted ground rules. Like what? He'd already covered the big one. Then, she remembered a few misunderstandings from her youth. "We need absolute honesty, as well. Communication."

"Agreed." He considered their hands for a moment before standing and walking toward the door. Once there, he kissed her goodnight, but it wasn't the passionate kisses from moments ago. Jennifer had watched him go, totally thrilled and so totally unsatisfied.

Now, in the conference room, she stared at him across the table, her mind already traveling back to the kitchen. To those amazing moments. What would have happened last night, had he not put on the brakes? Would it have been just as amazing? Or more tender? Or. . . .?

"Dr. Keller?" Carter's voice pulled her from her daydream, and she startled as if she'd been asleep.

"Yes?"

Carter smiled at her, clearly recognizing her distraction. "I was saying that we're ready to draw names for the gingerbread house contest. You get to hold the hat."

"Oh." She rose and tugged her jacket down around her waist as she realized she'd been fantasizing about Evan while in the middle of a briefing. "Okay."

Teyla, who sat next to Jennifer, leaned forward. "What is a. . .gingerbread house?"

Carter grinned again. "Gingerbread is a type of cookie we make back on Earth. At Christmas time, one of our traditions is to build little houses out of the gingerbread, decorating it with icing, candies, and fruit. For this year, the command staff has been challenged to have a gingerbread house contest. The houses have to be completed within three days, and whomever would like of the city's personnel can vote by ballot on the best house. We'll announce the winners at the party on Christmas Eve. For the purposes of this contest, Colonel Caldwell has been so kind as to join us in evening our numbers."

"I. . .see." Teyla's hesitation said otherwise.

"The winner of the house will receive twenty-four hours of leave, with the option to travel to any friendly planet he or she chooses." Carter touched the radio at her ear. "Dr. Zelenka, you can come in, now."

As Zelenka walked into the conference room, Jennifer held the hat and avoided meeting Evan's gaze. When Carter said the word "icing," her mind immediately returned to the kitchen. His did, too, because she saw how he glanced at her and then quickly looked away. Now, she wondered if this was such a good idea. What if they were paired together? They'd have to contend with more icing. As Zelenka approached her, she closed her eyes and hoped for the best.

oOo

Evan sat uncomfortably as Zelenka dipped his hand into the hat for the first pair of names. The idea was that the first two names chosen would be partners. Then, the second two names would be partners. And so on. Part of him sincerely hoped he didn't draw Jennifer's name. After all, he wasn't sure he could handle more icing.

Then, Evan thought about what he'd seen across the table. As McKay rattled excitedly about some new discovery in the Ancient database, Jennifer had given him this smoldering look that wandered from his face to the rest of his body. He didn't have to wonder what went through her mind. He automatically started counting the hours until his duty shift ended. Then, he remembered their ground rules. He closed his eyes against his desire to break those rules. _Not fair!_ He mentally yelled at her. _Stop tempting me, Keller!_ He clearly remembered telling her the same thing the night before.

Dragging his mind back to the present, he waited while Zelenka pulled out the first slip of paper and announced, "Teyla." A moment later, the scientist said, "Colonel Carter."

Behind Jennifer, Carter grinned in anticipation. Evan wished he could anticipate something. He wanted to join Jennifer for this contest. Badly. It meant more time with her. More time to figure out what they had between them. More of everything about her.

Zelenka pulled out another slip of paper. "Colonel Sheppard."

_Oh, please don't pair Jennifer with him_, Lorne thought.

Another slip of paper. "Colonel Caldwell."

The military commander of Atlantis and the commanding officer of the _Daedalus_ stared at each other, surprised. Evan could already read Sheppard's thoughts. He had been paired with the resident Ebenezer Scrooge.

Glancing around, Lorne realized that Jennifer had a chance to be paired with either himself, McKay, or Ronon. He figured he could handle McKay, but Ronon might upset him a little. The Satedan seemed so cocky, so sure of himself. Evan didn't want to think about the sudden burst of jealousy, but he knew he didn't want Jennifer spending time with either of those two men.

Zelenka pulled out another slip of paper. "Ronon."

Evan waited, more on edge about this than he'd been in a long time.

Another slip of paper. "Dr. Keller."

Jennifer's eyes went from Ronon's confused gaze to Evan's startled gaze. She shrugged ever so slightly as if to say, "Oh, well."

At first, Evan felt his mask slip. He'd wanted to spend more time with Jennifer. Then, he glanced around and realized what had happened. He grinned. If he had to do this contest with this particular person, he might as well have fun with it. "Well, Doc, looks like it's you and me."

McKay stared at him and blinked a few times. "What? Oh, no, no, no, no, no! I'm not doing this contest with anyone. I'm not participating."

Carter moved forward. "Yes, you are, Rodney."

"I am?" The scientist slouched in his chair and groaned. "I am."

oOo

Teyla watched the proceedings from her spot at the table. A smile played around her features as she took in the behavior of each person. Colonel Carter seemed genuinely pleased with the game. Ronon was as confused as Teyla. Sheppard eyed Colonel Caldwell, who kept a blank mask over his features even though his eyes twinkled. Jennifer stared at Ronon. McKay glared. And Major Lorne appeared crestfallen.

Teyla's smile slipped as she studied the major. He had always been so happy, and he genuinely endorsed this contest. So why was he crestfallen? Unless. . . .?

Suddenly, it made sense. Teyla glanced from Lorne to Jennifer and back. Of course. Now, she understood. Two nights ago, at her birthday party, Jennifer had arrived late and flushed from more than running after a quick shower. The young doctor had given the excuse of making a mess in the kitchen, but her behavior suggested something completely different. After everyone except Jennifer left, Lieutenant Cadman asked rather bluntly just who Keller had slept with. Teyla hadn't believed it at first, although she'd noticed a slight change in the doctor's body language. Now, she knew her answer.

Dr. Keller and Major Lorne had apparently discovered each other. With a smile on her face, Teyla sat back in her chair. She might not understand all of the traditions from Earth, but she knew one thing. This would be one celebration she would never forget!

~TBC


	3. Cultural Exchange

**Author's Note:** So, posting a story only once a week is a little odd to me. There's so much that gets lost from one week to the next. So, to recap, in Chapter 2, we saw Jennifer and Evan in a briefing as they coped with the new turn in their relationship. Also, names were drawn for the gingerbread house contest. As always, hope you enjoy the new chapter! ~lg

oOo

The following day, Jennifer sat at a table in the mess hall, picking at her lunch and trying to fill the time before her afternoon appointment. Ronon had come by the infirmary that morning, and they planned to meet in her quarters to begin their gingerbread house. She distractedly wondered what a Satedan knew about gingerbread houses, but she buried her questions. He'd agreed to the contest, and she'd go through with it even if the house looked like cookies slapped together with some icing.

Just the thought of icing brought back her thoughts during yesterday's briefing. She still couldn't believe she'd been caught fantasizing about Evan. And by Colonel Carter, no less! Jennifer had held herself together until she reached her office after the briefing. Then, she promptly fell apart. Not crying so much as giving herself a stern talking to. Over the course of the day, she tried to tame her raging libido so she could think clearly about Evan and what he wanted.

He wanted to explore what they had. And, based on his ground rules, he wanted more than just a few weeks. He'd even said so. That idea crossed her mind, and she happily figured she could commit to a lifetime if it meant being loved like that.

Scolding herself yet again, Jennifer looked up as Teyla walked to her table. "Teyla, have a seat."

"Thank you." The Athosian settled with little more than a cup of tea. "I wanted to talk to you as a friend."

"Okay." Jennifer frowned. Was there something wrong with the baby? While she'd originally been concerned for the child's health following the incident on New Athos—and again after Teyla took control of the Wraith queen holding Sheppard, McKay, and Ronon hostage—Jennifer hadn't seen any cause for concern in recent days.

Teyla smiled at her. "I wish to understand your customs."

"My customs?" Then, Jennifer smiled as she realized what Teyla meant. "About the gingerbread house. Of course."

"No. Colonel Carter already explained that to me." Teyla rubbed her growing baby bump. "I meant your planet's customs concerning relationships."

Jennifer blinked rapidly, her mind trying to figure out all the reasons why Teyla would bring up this topic. She hadn't done anything embarrassing at the briefing. Had she? "Why. . . ?"

"Because I know you well enough to see that you're wrestling with your relationship with Major Lorne."

"What?" Jennifer reacted too loudly, and several people glanced at her. She lowered her voice and leaned toward Teyla as she felt the heat creep into her face. "How do you know about that?" she hissed.

Teyla regarded her with a dispassionate gaze. "Because I watched your body language yesterday. Both you and he seemed eager to be paired together for the gingerbread house contest, and he seemed rather disappointed by your assignment with Ronon. Not to mention how you arrived to the birthday party."

Jennifer pushed aside her lunch and covered her face with her hands. "You would have to bring that up."

"Then something happened between the two of you?"

"You could say that."

Teyla frowned. "This is what I do not understand." She set her tea aside and met Jennifer's eyes. "Among my people, it is very common for young adults to experiment with others of their age. Not all of the elders agree. And some believe that we are destined to be with a particular person for the rest of our lives. We believe in love, but we also believe in honesty and openness about it."

Jennifer nodded. "That makes sense given the threat of the Wraith." She frowned. "But why didn't you tell Colonel Sheppard until after you were stunned?"

Teyla shifted in her seat. "It is. . .complicated."

"Most relationships are." Jennifer let out a deep breath. "Just like this one. In some ways, I wish my people believed in the same level of openness that you talk about."

"Not all cultures believe the way we do." Teyla gave her a sad smile. "I have friends on other worlds who are subject to their husbands. And if they are not chaste on their wedding night, they are. . .what is your word?. . .divorced. And shunned."

"We have a few cultures like that on Earth, too."

"From what Colonel Sheppard and Dr. McKay have told me, and from what I have seen in your movies, your culture in the United States is not like this."

"No, it's not." Jennifer let out a slow breath, trying to explain why she reacted the way she had. "Teyla, some people believe that. . . ." She struggled to find the right word. As a physician, she should be able to talk about this with clinical detachment. But, when talking about it as it related to Evan, it seemed very personal and almost taboo.

"Sex?" Teyla supplied with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes, sex." Jennifer swallowed the dry feeling in her throat. What she and Evan had done in the kitchen was pure, carnal, _hot_ sex. "Some people believe that sex is to be between only a husband and a wife. After they're married. Others believe it's okay to cross that line once you find the person you're to be with for the rest of your life, whether you're married or not. Some people wait a few dates to start sleeping together while others simply hook up."

"Hook. . .up?"

"Have sex with various partners whether they know them or not."

"I see." Teyla stared at her. "Your people seem so different."

"We are very different," Jennifer agreed.

"So you and Major Lorne. . . .hooked up?"

For some reason, Teyla's use of the Earth euphemism made Jennifer smile. She still flushed, but she saw the humor in the words. "Yeah."

"And you are upset because. . . .?"

"Oh, I'm not. . . I mean. . . that's just not. . . .me." Jennifer tried to smile, but she felt the pressure of what had happened settling in again. "I mean, I've never been one to. . .hook up, as you say. . .with anyone. Well, maybe once in college because I had too much to drink. But, well. . . I just don't. . . think it's appropriate behavior. For me, I mean. And I'm just not sure what to do since. . .well. . . Every time someone mentions icing, I think about it."

"Icing?"

"Yeah. Don't ask me to explain it."

"I won't." Teyla stared at her. "I still do not understand your reticence to admit what happened between you. Apparently you and Major Lorne share the same feelings for each other. Why do you hide your relationship?"

"Because there wasn't a relationship. Not until. . .then," Jennifer said with a hand motion toward the kitchen. "How do the Athosians see that?"

"Well, my people aren't promiscuous, but we do admit to our relationships." Teyla smiled sadly. "Stake our claim, as John would say."

"If I had anything more than one date and a movie with the major under my belt, I'd stake my claim in a heartbeat." Jennifer spotted Ronon finally enter the mess hall. "But I don't. I mean, we're still trying to figure out if we want to explore what happened. Develop a relationship at all."

"Jennifer." Teyla stopped her with a hand on her arm just as she would have risen to empty her tray. "I do not mean to meddle, but I believe you have a reason to stake your claim. To admit to what happened and press on. By ignoring it or hiding it, you are only causing yourself more problems."

"I'm not ignoring it." Jennifer glanced around before admitting, "I can't stop thinking about it. What will happen next time? Will it be as. . .intense as the first time? Or was that because we _didn't_ really know each other? What about him? What's he thinking about it? Or _is_ he thinking about it?"

Teyla's smile crept across her face the longer Jennifer babbled. "Trust me, Jennifer. He's thinking about it."

"How do you know?"

"Because I watched his reactions yesterday and today." Teyla shook her head. "You have no reason to fear that Major Lorne is not interested in you."

Jennifer merely stared at her.

Teyla let her arm go as Ronon carried a bin of supplies and several large trays of gingerbread toward the table. "Think about what I have said. For your peace of mind."

Jennifer nodded and let Ronon lead her out of the mess hall. She had managed to push Evan from her mind for the morning, but following Ronon's broad frame through the city brought everything back to mind. They would be working in her quarters for hours. What would Evan say to that? Out of all the pairings that Zelenka had picked, she and Ronon were the only co-ed pair.

As she led Ronon to her quarters, she let out another deep breath. She couldn't afford to dwell on her relationship with Evan right now. Not with Ronon in the room. The Satedan saw more than she liked. Had once even tried to help her get a date with Sheppard. If he could read her thoughts now, he'd wind up laughing at her.

She forced a smile and took the gingerbread from Ronon's hands. Now was definitely _not_ the time to think about Teyla's words.

oOo

Ronon eyed Keller as she set the gingerbread on the coffee table. He looked around her quarters curiously, trying to figure out the reason for her unease. He'd never noticed it before, and he wondered if something had happened. His combat senses didn't detect a threat, and he saw no reason for her to be so tense. She must have had something happen at work that morning.

When she tried to pull her desk away from the wall, Ronon set down the plastic bin he'd been given and gently pushed her aside. He tugged the desk to the center of the room, where she said it would stay until the contest. They had three days to build this thing. Well, two-and-a-half, since it was after noon. Ronon watched as she carried the gingerbread to the desk and stared at it. How were they supposed to build a house out of _that_?

Keller laughed. "It won't bite you, Ronon."

"What?" He frowned at her. "I know."

"Well, you're staring at it like it's some sort of strange creature about to attack you."

"How are we supposed to build a house out of that?"

"With icing," she answered, flushing to the roots of her hair as she did so.

Ronon blinked. Why would Doc Keller blush at the mention of icing? "Uh. . .Doc?"

"What?" Then, she realized what he was asking. "I'm fine. Really."

"Okay." He pointed. "So, we build a house with this stuff. Then what?"

"Then, we decorate it with this." She opened the bin with a snap, and he looked inside to see a wide variety of colorful candies.

He grinned, reaching for the bowl of chocolate candy Sheppard called M&Ms. "Nice."

She slapped his hand. "Not yet." When he looked at her, she burst into laughter. "You should see yourself. You look like the naughty schoolboy with his hand in the cookie jar!"

Not understanding her reference, he simply stared at her.

"Never mind." She pressed her lips together. "So, do you know what you want to do for this house?"

"Uh. . .no." He shrugged. "Build a house."

"Well, I know that. But did you have any ideas in mind?" She pulled a chair close and watched him. "What were houses like on Sateda?"

He hadn't expected that question. "Like houses."

"Did they have any kind of unique features? Something that we could use as a springboard for ideas?" She smiled. "Ronon, these houses will need to be the best that we can do. With McKay making one, it'll be amazing. We need to compete with him. If we can use something from your world, then I'd love to. If that's okay, I mean."

"It's fine." He thought for a moment before his memories brought a smile to his face. "We had clan houses."

"Clan houses?"

"Yeah." He tipped his head to the side, causing his dreads to fall behind him and to his right. "This tattoo on my neck? It's my clan mark. Shows who my family is and where my allegiance should be. We all had them. And we had the clan house. It was a hall, really, where the clan would gather for celebrations and such. Didn't really look like these, though." He held up the pictures of gingerbread houses that someone had helpfully tucked into the bin.

She reached for a piece of paper. "Can you draw me a picture?"

"Yeah." Ronon took the paper and pencil from her hand and set the bin of candy on her bed. As he sketched, he told her about his home. About how the family tattoo was done when a child reached his or her majority. How the clan celebrated such things. How families were born in the clan houses. His mind traveled back in time, seeing the clan house where he met Melena. That night, on the eve of his own majority, he'd first seen the woman who had so completely captured his heart that he still couldn't look at another woman without thinking of her.

Jennifer listened closely as he shared his culture. She was much like Melena in many ways. Soft. Gentle. Unafraid to confront him. He smiled as he thought about their bonding. About how the clan house had been filled to overflowing just to celebrate their union.

"They drank late into the night," he said, his mind not really on gingerbread houses any longer. "I remember seeing several dozen men still passed out from the wine the next day when I went looking for food."

Jennifer laughed again. "You're always about the food."

"Melena was hungry," he said, not afraid to hide his past relationship. He pointed to the picture he'd drawn. "So, will that work?"

"What?" She looked at the drawing. "Yeah! That'll be fine."

"Doc." He waited until she met his eyes. "You okay?"

"Yeah. Just thinking." She smiled at him.

Ronon narrowed his eyes. "Is there something you'd like to talk about?"

"No," she answered a little too quickly. "Just. . .personal. . .things."

"Uh-huh." He didn't believe her. But he let her have her space and turned toward the gingerbread. "Now, how do we cut this?"

oOo

By dinnertime that evening, Jennifer and Ronon had managed to build the structure for his Satedan gingerbread clan house. It had taken several tries to get the walls to stay together, but they had finally managed to get the icing to meld to the gingerbread. In the process, they'd eaten more icing than they'd put on the house, and both of them were a little hyper.

_Well_, Jennifer thought, _I'm hyper. Ronon's just. . . Ronon._ She frowned at him, envying his apparent absorption in the project. At first, he'd been hesitant to start the house. Then, as the hours went on, he let himself get drawn in. Now, he bent at an awkward angle to make sure the roof fit appropriately. Jennifer grinned at him and shook her head. Her stomach growled, and she realized she was hungry for more than just sweets. And she hadn't exactly eaten lunch.

As Ronon called a halt for the day, Jennifer thought about the progress she'd made. She had finally stopped blushing every time the word "icing" came up. Something about hearing it in Ronon's gruff tone, with the demand for more before the house fell apart, had shifted her focus. She'd needed the afternoon. She actually felt like she could think clearly about her relationship with Evan now that she'd clamped down on her own libido.

Teyla's words from that morning came back to mind, and Jennifer let out a deep breath as she and Ronon packed up the remaining supplies. They still needed to decorate the house, but she'd reserved the afternoons for this contest. They'd come out with a better house if they paced themselves. Now, with the clean-up going well, Jennifer wondered if she could just stake her claim.

She let out a second deep breath at that thought. To know that Evan was hers alone would be. . . . She didn't want to think of him in sexual terms, but having a man like that all to herself was a definite bonus. But did she want to tie him down so soon? He'd already said he wanted to explore what they had, but he had not clarified if he wanted others to know about it.

Ronon looked up at her when she let out her second breath. "Doc, what's going on?" He shrugged when she stared at him. "You're blushing at weird things, letting out these deep sighs all the time, and acting a little different. More on edge. What happened?"

Jennifer stared at him. She couldn't just blurt out the truth to Ronon. Not when he'd been so open about culture and traditions on Sateda. Then, she realized that he _had_ been open about his relationship with Melena. Maybe she should return the favor. "There's this guy," she said, nodding as she did so. "We. . .um. . . Anyway, I'm not sure where it's going. And it's got me tied in knots inside because I don't know. . . .And we. . . ." She just stopped talking.

He narrowed his eyes, considering her as he did so. Jennifer knew Ronon observed people. As a Runner, he'd had to know when danger approached. He couldn't trust just the random person who crossed his path. Even Sheppard had to prove himself.

Finally, he looked away from her for a moment while he adjusted the final bits of candy in the plastic bin. Then, he met her eyes. "If you're embarrassed by him, let him go. If you're interested, tell him. Don't play the middle."

Jennifer let out a third deep breath at his words. Trust Ronon to break it down so simply. She needed to decide, and she needed to do it quickly. "Thanks. I needed to hear that."

"Yep." He stowed the plastic bin under her desk. "Let's go get some food."

Jennifer laughed as she followed him out of her quarters. Ronon had a wonderful way of dropping a subject and never bringing it back up. She only hoped his artistic skills were as good as his ability to wrap something profound into the proverbial nutshell. Maybe, just maybe, they'd win this contest.

~TBC


	4. Gingerbread Moments

**Author's Note:** A HUGE thanks to TychoV for the beta on this one. Parts of this chapter came out so much better because of the input. :) For a brief recap: Jennifer and Ronon just finished working on their gingerbread house. Jennifer has received some insight from both Ronon and Teyla. As always, hope you enjoy! ~lg

oOo

As Ronon and Jennifer made their way to the mess hall for dinner, Sheppard beamed aboard the _Daedalus_ to meet with Colonel Caldwell. He had dreaded this meeting for days. He and Caldwell didn't see eye to eye on many things, and he knew his sometimes unconventional solutions often angered the colonel. Not to mention the fact that Sheppard held the position Caldwell originally wanted.

Several of _Daedalus's _personnel glanced at Sheppard with curiosity as he strolled toward Caldwell's quarters, but none of them asked about the supplies he carried. The chef on Atlantis had an award-winning gingerbread recipe, and he'd graciously volunteered to bake the sheets of cookies the contest required. Sheppard already knew that Carter and Teyla had begun to decorate their house. Ronon and Keller also seemed rather excited about their creation. He couldn't be sure about Lorne and McKay. Lorne hadn't seemed thrilled to be paired with McKay, and the physicist certainly hadn't wanted to participate in any contest. Sheppard knew that Rodney would dive in with enthusiasm as soon as he realized it was a _contest_. According to McKay, _everything_ was a contest.

Caldwell called for him to enter as soon as he arrived, and Sheppard stepped through the door. Surprisingly, a miniature Christmas tree stood next to the viewport, backed by one phenomenal New Lantean sunset. The rest of the quarters appeared just as bland and neat as he imagined a life-long Air Force officer's quarters should appear.

Caldwell pointed at his desk. "Just put that stuff right here."

Sheppard moved to obey, still remembering that Caldwell was a superior officer. "I'm not entirely sure what to do, but here it is."

"Well, first, we remember not to eat the candy." Caldwell shut the door, closing them into the small quarters. "Second, we get creative."

Sheppard squelched the urge to say, "Duh!" His problem stemmed from his lack of creativity unless it related to life-threatening situations or finding ways to annoy McKay. He stood as Caldwell began sorting the supplies the kitchen staff had provided. They had chocolate chips, candy canes, peppermint candies, gumdrops, jelly beans, M&Ms, food coloring, cake decorating equipment, and icing. Lots and lots of icing. Sheppard didn't want to know how many pounds of powdered sugar had gone into the copious amounts of the sticky icing that the kitchen turned out.

Caldwell stood over the sheets of gingerbread and eyed him. "So, did you know what you wanted to do?"

"Well, I. . . ." Sheppard motioned toward the gingerbread. "I just figured we'd put something together."

Caldwell grinned at him. "You have no idea, do you?"

Sheppard met the man's eyes. "No."

"Relax, Sheppard." Caldwell eyed him, a smile twitching at the corners of his mouth. "We're just building a gingerbread house, not plotting out battle strategies."

"Hey, I've come up with a few of those over time, too."

"I know you have." Caldwell motioned him over. "Okay, let's start with getting an idea of what we want before we start cutting this stuff."

Sheppard shrugged. "A house," he offered.

Caldwell snorted. "Well, I knew that."

"Of course you did."

"Sheppard, we're going to be working closely on this for several days." Caldwell stared at him. "I know we haven't exactly seen eye-to-eye in the past, but we need to put together the best house we can if we hope to compete with McKay."

"Yeah, that thought crossed my mind, too, Sir."

"For the time being, make it 'Steven.' Please." Even while trying to make him feel a little more at ease, Caldwell managed to sound put out.

"Alright, _Steven_," Sheppard said, emphasizing his use of a superior officer's first name. "I'm 'John.'"

"Right." Caldwell nodded at him. "Now, here's what we're going to do."

Over the next few minutes, Caldwell outlined a plan to build a gingerbread house that sounded amazingly simple and yet seemed incredible to Sheppard's mind. With instructions firmly in place, Sheppard washed his hands and set about cutting the precise lines that Caldwell drew with a white chalk pencil onto the dark gingerbread. The resulting pieces looked vaguely like they'd go together to build a slouchy, quaint cottage, but he couldn't be sure.

Once the pieces had been cut, Caldwell gave him instructions on assembling the thing. Not like the colonel had been sitting idly. He'd been sorting the candy and food coloring, as well as making the round base for the house.

Sheppard grabbed the bowl of icing Caldwell handed to him and smeared a bunch of it onto one edge of the house. When he stuck the two pieces together like instructed, they fell apart.

Caldwell glanced up and saw what happened. "No, not like that." He took the pieces of gingerbread from Sheppard and wiped most of the icing off of the gingerbread. Then, he took one finger and ran a thin coating of the icing along the edge. As he held the pieces together, he started talking. "Gingerbread isn't the sweetest cookie in the universe, but it's incredibly sturdy. As is icing. When you put the two together, you only put a small amount of the icing at the joints. That sweetness helps the gingerbread taste better, as well. When you overdo the icing, it just falls apart. After you put the icing on the gingerbread, you have to wait for the icing to set before moving on to the next piece."

Sheppard reached for two other pieces of gingerbread and smoothed some icing onto it. "You really like this stuff, don't you, Sir?"

"Sheppard, I told you to call me 'Steven.' Don't make me make it an order." Caldwell glanced up at him. "But, yes. I like this stuff. I remember building gingerbread houses with my kids for local contests when they were young."

"Oh yeah? Did you win any?"

"One." Caldwell grinned at him. "We took first place with thatch-roofed Tudor looking house complete with a Christmas tree in the front window."

"Really?" Sheppard let out a deep breath when his two pieces of gingerbread stayed glued together. "Wow."

"Though I must admit I never dreamed I'd be in another _galaxy_ building a gingerbread house for a contest." Caldwell shook his head. "That just never crossed my mind when I built that with my son."

Sheppard shook his head as he glued another two walls to each other. He'd never once imagined that Caldwell would have a soft spot for the holidays. It struck him as funny, and he actually chuckled.

Caldwell looked up sharply. "What?"

"Nothing." Sheppard made sure to let his grin show before adding, "Sir."

oOo

"I thought you were building a gingerbread house." Sheppard's voice in the office door pulled Lorne out of his concentrated efforts to clear his desk of paperwork.

He straightened and leaned back in his chair. "McKay is building it. I'm decorating it."

Sheppard grinned. "I knew Rodney would get his head out of his butt sooner or later."

"Yes, Sir."

"Lorne." Sheppard held up a hand before dropping it. "Never mind."

"Something on your mind, Sir?"

"No." Sheppard shrugged. "I was going to tell you to drop the 'Sir,' then I remembered how hard it was to do that when Caldwell told me the same thing."

Evan couldn't keep the smirk from crossing his face. He'd been told numerous times to address his CO as "John." Now his CO understood how difficult that really was.

Sheppard glanced over the desk. "Whatcha doing?"

"Your paperwork, Sir."

"Isn't that why you're here?"

Evan let out a snort. "Actually, I thought I was here to rescue you when you got into trouble."

Sheppard considered him for a moment. "That, too."

Evan returned to the requisition form in front of him as Sheppard settled into one of the chairs crammed into the tiny office. He'd learned long ago that Sheppard talked in his own time. He never rushed the guy, and his CO usually came up with something brilliant. And, sometimes, something not so brilliant.

"So," Sheppard began, "you and McKay are working separately on this project?"

"Actually, we're. . .ah. . .maximizing our strengths and minimizing our weaknesses."

"That's a diplomatic answer."

"Yeah?" Evan shook his head. "Well, I could have used some of that diplomacy on that last mission."

"Whatever was the problem, anyway?"

"Greed. That and poor bookkeeping made for a potentially explosive situation." Evan finally pushed his laptop to the side. "I tell you, Sir, I'd rather listen to McKay and Zelenka bicker than do that again."

"I'll remember that next time they want me to initialize some Ancient tech."

Evan stared at him. "Sir, with all due respect, I'm not sure that's such a great idea. I can only keep from tearing their heads off for so long."

"You're the most controlled man on this base." Sheppard shrugged. "If _I_ can put up with them, _you_ can."

Evan gave his CO an exasperated look and reached for his computer. "We'll see when I get done with this house. McKay's already going into great detail of what we can and can't do. And how we'll win. And how I need to spy on the others. And. . .you get the idea, Sir."

"I knew Rodney would wake up and realize it was a contest sooner or later."

"Well, it happened sooner." Evan sat back in his chair, realizing he wouldn't get any more work done that evening. "What about you, Sir? How did you find working with Colonel Caldwell?"

"Let's just say Caldwell is more. . . ." Sheppard searched for the appropriate word. ". . .agreeable than we thought."

"That's surprising."

"Even won a gingerbread contest a few years back."

Evan rubbed a hand over his face. "Don't let McKay hear you say that."

"So, who were you hoping to get for a partner?"

"Honestly, Sir, I didn't care one way or the other." Evan hoped Sheppard didn't see through the blatant lie.

"Okay, let me rephrase the question." Sheppard stared. "Who would have been your first choice?"

"Ah. . ."

"It's not that difficult of a question, Major."

Evan acknowledged that with a nod. "Actually, I would have enjoyed working with Dr. Keller."

"Really? The Doc?" Sheppard thought about that and then shrugged. "She is a surgeon. She'd have some steady hands and an eye for detail."

All at once, the thoughts Evan had been avoiding came rushing back. He saw her face when he'd decorated the birthday cake and grinned when he remembered steadying her some time later after helping her to her feet. Part of him wished he hadn't set those ground rules, but the other part of him breathed a sigh of relief that he had placed restrictions on the two of them. As much as he'd enjoyed their encounter, he wanted to treat Jennifer right. Not like a piece of property. Or worse.

"Is there something between you and the Doc that I need to know about?" Sheppard had read his expressions.

"No." Evan shook his head, hoping his CO didn't push the issue.

"Look, Major, she's a civilian. No one would blame you if the two of you started seeing each other."

Evan simply stared at him, deliberately dropping a bland mask over his face. He wanted to spend more time with Jennifer, but he also didn't want Sheppard knowing every little thing about his personal life. "We've. . .ah. . .had a couple of dates. One, really. But nothing more." _Liar_, he thought. But he refused to discuss what happened in the kitchen with Sheppard, of all people.

"So you are. . . .?" Sheppard motioned with his hand, either indicating that Evan and the doc were intimate or merely involved.

Evan chose to believe the latter. "Sort of."

"That good or bad, Major?"

"I'm not sure, Sir." Evan shook his head. "Things got off to a rough start a few days ago, and I really don't want to mess this up."

"You know, Caldwell said something earlier today that kind of applies to that." Sheppard frowned as if he worked through some incredibly difficult puzzle in his mind. "He said that gingerbread isn't a sweet cookie, and you don't put a lot of icing on it to hold it together. Something like that."

"And what does _that_ mean?"

"The gingerbread is the solid base that the house or in this case the relationship is built on." Sheppard scowled as he thought through the entire analogy. "The icing is like those intense moments all relationships have— good and bad. Too much and the walls come down. Just enough and the house is stronger."

Evan blinked. "Sir, that's pretty profound."

"Yeah, it is, isn't it?" Sheppard grinned. Then, he pushed to his feet. "Don't work too late. You're supposed to be taking it easy this week."

"Yes, Sir." Evan watched his CO leave the office, still chewing on that last tidbit of wisdom. What had happened in the kitchen certainly qualified as intense. But if this was to work, they would need more gingerbread times: friendship, companionship and genuinely understanding each other.

Tired of sitting in his chair, Evan left his office and went for a run. For most of the night, he forced his mind away from Jennifer and onto this gingerbread house. His sister had opened a bakery in San Francisco several years ago. She'd taught him to decorate cakes much like he'd done for Teyla's birthday. Now, he considered his options and wondered just how McKay wanted this gingerbread house decorated.

The next afternoon, McKay delivered one amazingly constructed two-story house with orangy paper in the windows to simulate lights from within. Evan shook his head as McKay unceremoniously dropped the bin containing the candy and icing on the coffee table and ran from the room. Taking the house to his desk, Evan opened the plastic bin, organized the supplies, and reached for the icing. His eyes narrowed as he considered the house and what he wanted to do with it. Snow. Definitely snow. And lights around the eaves. Perhaps he'd even paint a Christmas tree on the orange paper glowing from the large downstairs window. Grinning at the challenge, he reached for the bowl of icing and froze.

He and Jennifer had discovered something over icing. Letting his mind linger on those moments in the kitchen, he thought that he ought to find a reason to kiss her that didn't include icing. Or food. Or any excuse but that she was one amazing person. Who would have thought that such passion resided under that timid exterior she presented to the world? When she'd. . . . He closed his eyes as he realized the direction of his thoughts.

_The hot, passionate moments that bind the companionship and respect together. _Sheppard's words came to mind, and he realized that he couldn't help but respect Jennifer. Yes, she was hot. Yes, what they'd done was hot. Yes, he wanted to do that again. But he also needed to get to know her for who she was, not treat her like some object to satisfy his own needs and desires.

"Yeah? And what kind of woman would that be?" he asked himself as he began working on the more mundane portion of decorating the gingerbread house.

Put simply, Jennifer was amazing. And not just physically. She served day in and day out in that infirmary. Treating the sick and injured. Doing surgery even when she was so exhausted she couldn't see straight. Dealing with McKay and all of his hypochondriac ways. Doing medicals after teams came back from missions. Stitching up Marines after Ronon sent them to her. Smiling at children she didn't know as she offered lollipops. Soothing frazzled nerves with her calm voice. As he compiled a list of her abilities and duties, his respect for her grew. She wasn't just another pretty face in Atlantis. She did a lot!

That just made her more attractive to him. Not in a sexual way, though. He doubted any woman could be more attractive than Jennifer in a sexual way. No, this attraction came from having seen a glimpse of the woman that resided underneath the young CMO. It started somewhere deep within him and kept him spellbound at the thought of seeing her again.

Yes, companionship and respect may be the walls that built the house. But, without a doubt, love was the foundation. All at once, he thought he might actually allow himself to fall in love with Dr. Jennifer Keller.

~TBC


	5. Contest's Results

**Author's Note:** Well, folks, here it is! The final chapter of this little story. A BIG thanks to TychoV for the betas and helping me out with the final conversation here. The story came out so much better because of the help. A minor recap: Lorne has just received some wisdom from Caldwell, via Sheppard, and he's decided that he and Jennifer need to talk. As always, hope you enjoy! And Merry Christmas! ~lg

oOo

Rodney McKay stared at the gingerbread houses positioned in a place of honor in the mess hall, completely stunned at the result. No one knew the winner yet. Zelenka had organized ballot counters and had disappeared an hour ago to count the ballots. Any of the four could have won. Even as competitive as he was, McKay knew that.

Ronon and Keller surprised everyone with a colorful rendition of a Satedan clan house. The mark that was tattooed into Ronon's neck adorned the gingerbread over the door. A fence built entirely of jelly beans closed the place in, and an archway of peppermint sticks opened onto a courtyard of sorts. The house itself had been edged with icing, dotted with M&Ms, and in general decorated with the uniqueness one expected from Ronon. Not quite refined, but still very much a worthy competitor.

Teyla and Carter had also outdone themselves. Their house looked like a stone cottage, with jelly beans laid into the thick icing that covered the outsides. They'd even color-coordinated all of the jelly beans. McKay vaguely wondered where the excess candy had gone and then realized that Teyla likely ate it. Since discovering that she was pregnant, the Athosian had developed a fondness for anything sugary. As well as popcorn. If Rodney so much as looked at her popcorn wrong, she threatened him with her bantos rods.

Still, the house she'd built with Carter showed the careful touch of a woman's hand. The roof, made of shredded wheat cereal, looked thatched, and the tray carried a hint of a barren tundra. Rodney shivered just looking at it. That isolated feel stayed with him as he moved on to the next entry.

When Sheppard and Caldwell had been assigned to work on the gingerbread house together, Rodney had prepared to see a square military building with numbers on the outside. A remake of a classic Air Force base. Instead, they'd come up with something that resembled the perfect Thomas Kincaid cottage. They had painstakingly carved shingles into the roof, coating them with icing as if the snow had melted due to the heat inside. The house sagged a little in the middle, giving the impression of age without breaking the idyllic feel of Christmas.

And, then, of course, there was the Lorne-McKay entry. Rodney had spent hours designing that house, and he used almost every bit of gingerbread available to build it. Once certain it wouldn't fall apart, he took it to Lorne, expecting far less than he received. The two-story house blew his mind. Snow covered the roof. The yellow-orange paper he'd put in the windows now sported curtains, and the large windows in the front of the house had a Christmas tree lit up inside. When McKay had first seen that, he asked how Lorne had put new pictures into the windows without tearing the house apart. The major just shrugged and said, "I painted them around the gingerbread."

That wasn't all the major had done. He'd added cornices to the roof, shutters to the windows, strings of Christmas lights to every edge, peppermint sticks to the corners of the house, and a small porch using the one slab of gingerbread Rodney had left. Thin strips of black licorice peeked through the icing, and tiny multicolored candies formed Christmas lights. Lorne had even managed to get the food coloring on the snow to look like the glow of the lights! And the fence! And the wreath on the door! And the trees built of green spice drops! And. . . . Rodney shook his head. Who knew the major could create such a work of art?

Looking around, McKay realized he wasn't the only one who stared at his entry. Most everyone spent a little bit of time studying the gingerbread houses. News of the contest had swept both Atlantis and _Daedalus_, and Zelenka had an excessive amount of votes to count. In fact, it had been difficult to fit another ballot into the ballot box. Competition between the teams had become fierce as the personnel debated between who would have the best house. Many of the women voted for Sheppard or Lorne based simply on their attraction to them. Others figured Ronon had a better chance of winning. No one really knew anything about Sateda or what he was on Sateda save for his team. And most figured Teyla and Carter would have the best house available. But Lorne's artwork had surprised them all. McKay had even heard Carter mutter something about knowing when she was beat.

"Rodney." He turned to see Katie Brown standing next to him, holding a cup of eggnog. "Here. Enjoy the party. The winners will be announced soon enough."

"You're right." McKay gave one final glance over his shoulder at the gingerbread houses and let her lead him away from them. Too many people hovered, anyway.

Just whose idea was this party to begin with? McKay had grouched and grumbled all week, but he suddenly wanted to thank them. He'd needed the break as much as anyone on Atlantis. Sheppard had also complained, but mostly because Carter decided to make this a dress affair. She hadn't stipulated that the military officers wear their dress blues, but McKay spotted a few uniforms in the mix. Sheppard, Lorne, and Caldwell all looked perfectly sparkly with all of their awards hanging off their chests. Carter wore a tasteful, yet elegant, red dress that perfectly fit the season. She'd mentioned to someone—Rodney couldn't remember the man's name—that she hadn't wanted to wear her dress blues. He supposed that here, on Atlantis, her refusal could be overlooked.

Jennifer Keller stepped to Lorne's side and snaked an arm through his elbow. She also looked completely ravishing, to Rodney's estimation. He'd debated asking the young doctor to dance later, but, based on the smile Lorne gave her, that wouldn't be a great idea. Keller had chosen a black dress for the evening, one that fell to her feet and accented all her curves in the right places. The halter-top of the gown covered both her front and back, leaving her shoulders bare. But deep slits along the front hinted at what lay underneath. Lorne, who had been talking to Caldwell and Sheppard, had apparently completely lost his train of thought, much to the amusement of the other two men.

McKay looked away. Like any other man on the base, he'd been fascinated by Keller since her arrival. How could one so young be qualified to fill the CMO's position on the base? He didn't know and didn't care. Medicine was as much voodoo to him as religion. He preferred cold, hard facts.

Zelenka entered the mess hall again, and the room quickly fell silent with the exception of the pre-recorded Christmas music. The Czech raised his voice even though it wasn't necessary. "The results are in."

The contestants moved to their respective houses, and McKay watched Lorne's eyes follow Jennifer. He grinned. He had been accused of being obtuse in the past, but that time had long since ended. Now, as he stood next to the distracted Air Force major, he tried to focus entirely on the matter at hand: the contest.

Zelenka started out with fourth place. "Colonel Carter and Teyla!" A light splattering of applause from the crowd, and a gracious nod from Carter resulted from his announcement.

Zelenka glanced at the slip of paper in his hand. "Third runner up? Colonel Caldwell and Colonel Sheppard!" Another light round of applause. Another two nods of respect.

McKay glanced behind Lorne and caught Ronon's eye. The Satedan stared at him with the same grin and challenge as he had when McKay had tried to leave the infirmary after having his DNA altered by that failed ascension machine. Rodney held the stare, but Ronon's smirk fell away as he realized the biplay going on between Lorne and Keller. Rodney watched in fascination as the major surreptitiously pointed at the icing on his gingerbread house and waggled his eyebrows at Keller. She flushed and waved her finger at him in a classic scolding motion.

"What the. . . ?" Rodney didn't realize he'd said anything until Lorne stopped flirting with Keller and turned to him.

"You say something, Doc?"

"What? No."

Zelenka raised a hand and held up two fingers. "Second runner up?" He paused dramatically, the pause long enough for Lorne to turn back to Keller and tease her again. "Ronon and Dr. Keller!"

A roar erupted as the personnel gathered realized that McKay and Lorne had won the contest. Both men would receive an extra day off with permission to head to any friendly planet they wanted. But only for twenty-four hours, as Sheppard had clarified to McKay. Lorne slapped him on the back, thanking him for a great house to decorate.

McKay stared at the major. "Are you kidding me? I didn't know you could do all this with icing!"

"Oh, you'd be surprised what I could do with icing." Lorne shrugged. "My sister runs a bakery, and she builds little eggs and stuff out of icing. She taught me how to do this."

"Yeah, but. . ."

"McKay." Lorne stared at him. "Good job."

"Thank you, Major." McKay pulled himself up to his full height. "Can I say something without sounding totally out of line or. . .or wrong or anything you might hit me for?"

Lorne frowned. "Yeah. Why?"

McKay nodded toward Keller. "I know I'm terrible with women, but it doesn't take a genius to see that you've got something with her." He pointed. "Go kiss her under the mistletoe and get it over with!"

"Mistletoe?" Lorne immediately started looking around, spotting the mistletoe someone had helpfully hung right in the center of the dance floor. At this exact moment, five people unknowingly stood underneath it. Lorne grinned. "Thanks, Doc, I think I just might."

McKay shook his head and turned to Katie, who gave him a soft hug. "Good job, Rodney."

"What? I didn't do all that much. I just built the house. Major Lorne did all the really good stuff." Rodney turned as if to point to the major and realized he'd left the table. "Where'd he go?"

A moment later, hoots and cheers went up, and Rodney grinned. So, his advice had been sound after all. Satisfied, he faced Katie and decided to enjoy the party.

oOo

Caldwell, who had been standing with Carter and Sheppard, scowled when all the cheering started. He turned along with everyone else. Next to him, Sheppard grinned while Carter's jaw hit the floor. Major Lorne had Dr. Keller in his arms, apparently kissing her senseless. And the good doctor wasn't holding back, either. Her hands gripped the major's back as if he was her lifeline. Sheppard slipped away from the group, and Caldwell's eyes traveled to the ceiling. He buried his own grin as he watched Sheppard step in to break it up.

When Lorne and Keller came up for air, Caldwell turned from their stunned faces to face Carter. "I'm glad they're your problem, not mine." Inside, however, he couldn't help but cheer the major on. He'd planned this and had hoped to get some interesting reactions from people when they discovered his little addition to the decorations. He had snuck into the mess hall extremely early that morning and added the sprig of mistletoe without anyone knowing it.

More cheers sounded, and Caldwell spun around. He nearly dropped his wine glass when he saw Novak, his meek engineer, holding a very surprised Sheppard by the collar of his dress coat, laying one on him under the mistletoe. Sheppard stood with his eyes open for the space of several seconds before he took command of the situation. His arms slid around Novak's waist, and he managed to thoroughly kiss her in front of everyone. When the two came up for air, Novak was breathless except for her hiccups, and Sheppard grinned triumphantly.

Next to Caldwell, Carter chuckled. "That wasn't part of the plan." She let her smile linger. "I wonder who added the mistletoe."

Caldwell raised an eyebrow at her, keeping his blasé mask in place. "I have no idea," he said. "But I think one of my crew members just fell for your military commander."

As he watched Novak regain her equilibrium and Sheppard escort her gallantly around the mess hall, Caldwell smiled. Yes, the mistletoe had been a terrific idea after all!

oOo

On the patio of the mess hall, Jennifer let Evan lead her to an isolated corner and shivered. She wasn't cold. Atlantis's location near the equator of New Lantea ensured a fairly steady temperature. But that kiss back there had taken her breath away.

She'd been standing next to Marie, accepting congratulations on winning second place in the gingerbread house contest and smiling as the nurse planned to leave with the _Daedalus_ the next morning. Evan had interrupted, dragged her across the floor, and proceeded to kiss her senseless. His hands never wandered, however, and she had tried to keep herself upright. When that failed, she simply let him support her. Sheppard had stepped in to break up their kiss, and Evan had pulled her outside.

Now, with her mind finally clearing, she smiled. She'd been trying to come up with a way to "stake her claim," as Teyla had said, when Evan took matters into his own hands. He stepped up behind her and pulled her against him, simply holding her. Jennifer leaned back into him, enjoying the rough feel of his dress blues on her bare arms along with the simple security that he offered.

Finally, he took a deep breath. "We need to talk."

She turned, putting space between them at the seriousness of his tone. "Yeah, I agree."

"You first."

Jennifer blinked and frowned. Just how did she say what went through her head? She couldn't just tell him everything! Could she? "You mentioned exploring what we had the other day." When he nodded, she continued, "Did you mean. . .everything? Or just what happened in the kitchen?"

He met her eyes. "I meant every little thing that makes you tick." He smiled slightly. "Like I said, I don't hook up and walk away."

She nodded and walked over to the railing to put some space between them. Their last few encounters had been so filled with sexual tension that she hadn't been able to think beyond ripping his clothes off and heading to bed. Now, she wanted space to succinctly say what was on her mind. "I'm sorry."

"You're what?" he asked, totally surprised.

"That I treated you the way I did right after. . .well. . .you know. . .the kitchen." She hoped he didn't see her face as it darkened. "But I was wrong on so many things."

"The way _you_ treated _me_?" Evan moved to her side, turning her to face him. "Jennifer, _I'm_ the one who initiated that whole thing in the kitchen."

"And I could have stopped us at any time." She shrugged. "I didn't want to, and I never thought it would get as out of hand as it did. Not that I _don't_ want to do that again. Because I do. But I don't want that to be all that we have between us."

His hands lingered on her shoulders, adding to the warmth of the tropical air. "You're right." He shook his head and chuckled. "Sheppard said something the other day. About gingerbread houses and icing."

To her credit, Jennifer didn't blush. "Yeah, Teyla and Ronon both had something to say about it, too."

"You told Teyla and Ronon?"

"What? No!" She stammered for a moment. "I mean, I told Ronon. . .not that we had done. . .just that. . .Oh, that didn't come out right!"

He actually laughed at that. "No, it didn't."

"Ronon guessed that something was wrong, and I simply explained that there was a guy involved." She risked putting a hand on his chest, just next to his ribbons and medals. "Not that it was you."

"And what did he say?"

" 'If you're embarrassed by him, let him go. If you're interested, tell him. Don't play the middle.'" She lowered her voice in a poor imitation of Ronon's as she quoted his words.

"Good advice."

"Yeah, it is." She smiled. "And Teyla told me to 'stake my claim.'"

His eyes went to the inside, where the milling crowd avoided the mistletoe. "I think I did that for you."

"So, Evan, I'm staking my claim." She pulled herself up to her full height and faced him, saying the words she'd wanted to say for two days. "I'm interested in more than just sex with you. I want to explore what it means to be. . .your friend, your companion, your. . . ." She flushed when she realized she'd almost added "lover" to that list.

As she spoke, he simply watched her. She stood silent before him, feeling the warmth of his hands on her shoulders as he gently rubbed his thumbs across her skin. Now that her ultimatum was out there, he needed to respond. She clenched her hands and waited, willing to accept whatever answer he gave her.

oOo

Evan stared at Jennifer as she listed the things she wanted to experience with him. None of them included a physical act although he knew that would follow. Instead, she'd asked for his time, his efforts, and his willingness to sacrifice what he wanted.

Finally, she fell silent and twisted her fingers together between them. He lowered his hands to take hers and calm the nerves he saw. When she'd first appeared next to Ronon, smiling brilliantly as she stood next to her gingerbread house, he'd nearly lost what resolve he had built up. She looked incredible in that long black dress. Nothing showed, but he knew what lay beneath it. She fed his very active imagination.

But, as the evening progressed, he managed to tamp down that natural desire and focus simply on her. He hadn't been able to resist teasing her about icing, but she'd given as good as she got. Then, he and McKay won. He still couldn't believe McKay had pointed out the mistletoe but was glad the physicist had such keen eyes.

Now, however, Evan wanted to say everything in his head and have it come out right. He took a deep breath. "Remember I said Sheppard told me something about gingerbread and icing?"

"Yeah."

"Well, he said the gingerbread. . . ." Over the next few minutes, he shared the profound wisdom that Sheppard had gathered from Caldwell. Jennifer listened closely, her smile widening as he spoke. Finally, he shrugged. "The icing is nice. With you, it's _very_ nice. But I want more gingerbread, too."

She blinked suddenly, and her eyes shone in the light of New Lantea's two moons. "I'd like that, too."

Evan suddenly wanted to paint her at this very moment. He smiled. "So, we explore this?" He shook his head. "I mean, what do you want to explore?"

She thought for a moment. "An honest-to-goodness first date."

He could do that. "Dinner, tomorrow night? Me, you, the moons, candles, music, and nothing but talking?"

She smiled as if he'd just given her the best Christmas gift ever. "Sounds good."

Evan grinned at her, his mind thinking over the things that he wanted to find out about her. He stood next to her, taking her hand in his. "I can do all that. . .all nice, hold the naughty."

Jennifer blinked, blushed, and then snickered. "Major!"

"Sorry." He shrugged. "Couldn't resist."

"Yeah, you could have." She smiled up at him. "At least you didn't make a crack about unwrapping your gift."

Evan waggled his eyebrows at her, much like he had earlier that evening. "You know, if you're offering. . . ." He leaned forward to whisper in her ear, "You'll just have to wait."

"Spoilsport." She leaned her shoulder against his and looked out at the city.

He followed her gaze, enjoying the simplicity of having her next to him. As the wind stirred her hair and tickled the side of his face, he smiled. He could definitely get used to this dating-girlfriend thing. After all, he'd had more fun flirting with her tonight than he'd had in a long time. Slipping an arm around her waist, he held her close and let out a quiet breath. Maybe having a little gingerbread in his life wouldn't be so bad, after all.

~The End~


End file.
